The yellow sand rolled up, and the "King's Army" of thousands of soldiers shook the earth and rushed forward.
Although he already knew that Rider's trump card was an Ex-class Noble Phantasm, Tōsaka Tokiomi still couldn't help but tremble when he saw the thrilling scene in front of him. His elegance and composure had long been thrown out of his mind.
On the contrary, the heroic king Gilgamesh who stood before Tokiomi was not moved at all.
Watching the magnificent military might, his bright red eyes were filled with bloody joy. Only a king who had enjoyed all the joys in the world could understand this abnormal feeling.
In fact, Archer was indeed happy.
Summoned to this time and space, he only repeats the farce called war every day. He has long been tired of it, and finally meets an "opponent" that he recognizes.
The challenge from Rider was worth his full effort.
"You have lofty dreams and aspirations to dominate. I commend your aspirations. But warriors, do you understand that dreams will eventually end and you will have to wake up."
Archer used the Key Sword in his hand to open the treasure house in the void, but he did not unfold the "Treasure of the King", he only took out a sword.
"That is why I will block your path, King of Conquerors."
—Can this weapon really be called a "sword"
It was really too weird. It had a hilt and a hilt, and was about the same length as an ordinary longsword. But the most critical part, the "blade", was far from a traditional sword. It was a three-section cylinder, and the tip of the sword was twisted into a spiral, not sharp at all. The three sections of the cylinder were like a wheel, rotating slowly and continuously.
That's right, it can no longer be called a "sword". A weapon that was born long before the concept of "sword" appeared in the world naturally could not be in the shape of a sword. It was made by God before he created man, and it is the manifestation of divinity that witnessed the creation of the world.
The three cylinders shaped like a wheel coordinated with the movement of the celestial sphere, each carrying a weight and energy equivalent to the movement of the earth's crust. The huge magic power that surged out had already exceeded the range that could be calculated.
"Come, you should know the end of endless dreams. I will personally show you the truth of the world."
In Archer's raised hand, the Sword of Origin slowly increased its speed of rotation. One turn faster than the last, one circle faster than the last...
Witnessing all this, Rider instinctively sensed the danger approaching, pulling the reins to increase Bucephalus' speed.
Rider instinctively sensed that the threat posed by the weapon was significant, and urged his horse to speed up Bucephalus.
"It's coming."
It would be fine to give the initiative to Archer, but he would only be allowed to launch one attack. Before he could take any follow-up action, the "King's Army" would step over the lonely golden figure.
In this case, the key lies in how to survive the first attack. Archer is the master of endless Noble Phantasms. I guess that must be the ultimate weapon he thinks is enough to win.
Is that an anti-military weapon
Or is it an anti-city weapon
Or is it a sniper-type anti-personnel treasure? The opponent intends to capture the thief first and shoot Rider who is charging in front in one fell swoop...
The hurricane roared loudly, and a large amount of magic power burst out from Archer's Noble Phantasm.
"Wake up, 'EA'; the stage is set for you!"
EA - In Mesopotamian mythology, the gods of earth and water are divided into 'Heaven' and 'Center'.
The "Sword of Separation" called EA is the original sword that witnessed the creation of the world in the mythological era. The mission of the original blade is to split the chaotic sky and earth, so that the world can each have a definite form.
Now, the proudly swirling divine sword stirred up gusts of fierce wind, preparing to repeat the miracle of creation. The golden hero king proudly declared.
"Look carefully—this is the 'Star of the Creation of the World' (Enuma Elish)!"
The sky is screaming and the earth is roaring.
A huge beam of magical power surged out, shaking the laws of the universe.
Archer swung his sword down, not aiming at anyone.
There was no need to aim at anyone. The blade of the Sword of Separation could not only cut through "enemies".
Before Rider, who was riding his horse at full speed, the ground cracked and a bottomless abyss appeared.
"Hmm!?"
Rider immediately sensed the danger under his feet, but the speed of Bucephalus was too strong for anyone to stop.
"babble-"
Seeing that he could not escape the fate of falling into the bottomless abyss, Waver tried his best to hold back the wails in his mouth. Although the moment of life and death was imminent, the horse and the knight carrying him would not retreat because of such a crisis.
"Drink!"
In response to the reins in Rider's hand, the horse kicked with its strong hind legs and flew high into the air.
This leap and flight was so blood-chilling. When this moment, which Waver thought would last forever, ended, Bucephalus had already stepped onto the land on the other side of the cliff again.
But Weber had no time to catch his breath, as the tragic situation of the following cavalry team made his face change drastically.
The Guards, whose legs were not as strong as Bucephalus', could not cross the cracks in the ground and fell straight into the bottomless abyss like an avalanche. Although the cavalry further behind pulled their horses back in time and avoided the fate of falling, this was only the beginning of the tragedy.
"Hold on tight, kid!"
Rider shouted, hugging Waver and holding the horse's mane tightly.
Just as the horse sensed the danger and quickly retreated to a safe area, the crack in the ground continued to expand, swallowing up the surrounding land and the cavalry one by one.
No—it wasn't just the ground. The cracks stretched from the horizon to the empty sky, distorting space and sucking away a large amount of air. Everything around was swept into the end of nothingness along with a reversing gust of wind.
"This, this is..."
Even the King of Conquerors was speechless at this scene.
The sword of separation in the King of Heroes' hands not only cut through the earth, but also the entire world, including the sky. Its attack could no longer be described in terms of whether it hit or not, or how powerful it was. Soldiers, horses, dust, sky - everything that depended on the cut space was sucked into the vortex leading to nothingness and disappeared.
Just as Bucephalus tried his best to stand firm and resist the vacuum pressure, the hot sand land transformed by the "King's Army" was also cracking and shattering, flowing into the abyss of nothingness like sand and gravel that was about to run out.
Before this sword was swung, the three thousand worlds were nothing but meaningless chaos.
After this sword is swung, new laws will divide the sky, the earth and the ocean.
The torrent released by the creation of heaven and earth has long exceeded the scope of the city treasure. The visible and invisible myriad things are all broken apart by this incomparable power. This is the true face of the "anti-world treasure" that makes the hero king a transcendent.
The sky collapsed, the earth shattered, and in the darkness that gradually turned into nothingness, only Archer's sword of rebellion shone brightly. That radiance seemed like the first star that illuminated the new world, putting a shining end to the destruction.
Neither Rider nor Waver could see everything. The inherent barrier they were in was originally maintained by the magic power of all summoned heroic spirits. Before the world completely disappeared, the barrier had already broken when half of the military force was lost, and the distorted laws of the world returned to their original state.
Then, as if waking from a dream, the Bucephalus they were riding in landed on the asphalt road at night.
At the end of the road, the Golden Heroic Spirit stood tall with a proud smile. The positions of the two did not change at all, and it was as if the battle had been brought back to the beginning.
The only change that could be seen with the eyes was the sword of rebellion in Archer's hand, which was still spinning and roaring.
There was also an invisible and fatal change—Rider’s ultimate treasure, “The King’s Army”, disappeared.
"I won. No one can stop me from winning."
Having witnessed the might of the Sword of Rebellion, Tōsaka Tokiomi could hardly contain his excitement.
Waver on the opposite side had a pale face and looked up at his Servant.
"Rider... "
The tall King of Conquerors asked with a serious expression.
"So, there is one important thing I haven't asked you yet."
"...Huh?"
"Weber Velvet, are you willing to serve me as a subject?"
The passionate emotions made Weber tremble all over, and tears flowed down like a flood that broke through the dam.
This was a question he knew was impossible, but had always longed to ask.
There was no need to hesitate, because the answer was already prepared, hidden deep in his heart like a priceless treasure.
"You are the only one who—"
The boy, who was called by his name for the first time, ignored the tears on his cheeks, straightened his chest and answered without wavering.
"You are my king. I swear to serve you and to die for you. Please guide me forward and let me see the same dream as you."
Hearing the other party swearing like this, the domineering king smiled slightly. This smile was the highest praise and reward for his subjects.
"Well, all right then."
Just when Weber was about to fly into the sky with excitement, his body actually floated into the air.
"...Huh?"
The king lifted the boy's short body from Bucephalus's back and gently placed it on the asphalt road. Without the support of the horse's back, his vision returned to its original height, and Waver was confused by the lowness and insignificance he felt again.
"It is the king's duty to reveal the dream. It is your duty as a minister to witness the end of the dream and pass it on to future generations."
On the saddle that seemed so high and unreachable, the King of Conquerors smiled heartily and gave a resolute order.
"Stay alive, Waver. Witness all this, and live to tell the world how your king lives, and how I, Iskandar, gallop."
Bucephalus kicked his iron hooves and neighed as if to encourage him. Was he addressing the king who was about to die, or his subjects who had a heavy responsibility on their shoulders
Waver lowered his head and never raised it again. Iskandar took this as an assent.
No words are needed. From now until the end of time, the king's figure will always guide the minister, and the minister will always be loyal to this memory. Before the oath, even parting has lost its meaning. Because under Iskandar's command, the bond between the king and the minister is beyond time and space and is eternal.
"Well, let us go, Bucephalus!"
The King of Conquerors kicked his mount in the flank and began his final gallop. With a mighty roar, he charged toward his waiting enemy.
As a strategist, he knew that the outcome had already been decided. However, "that" and "this" were two completely different things. King of Conquerors Iskandar had no choice but to charge at the Golden Heroic Spirit. He could not think of any other way.
There was no giving up or despair in his heart, only excitement that almost jumped out of his chest.
This guy is really amazing. This hero can even cut the world itself in half. He is definitely the strongest enemy in the world.
Then this man is his final enemy.
That is the last barrier in the world. It is taller than the Hindu Kush and hotter than the Makran Desert.
In this case, what reason does the King of Conquerors have not to challenge? As long as he overcomes this last obstacle, the end of the world will be in front of him. His unattainable dream is waiting to be realized right before his eyes.
"Only over there lies the glory" - precisely because it is so far away, it is worth challenging.
Sing praises to one's tyranny, demonstrate one's tyranny, for the sake of the subjects who are watching his back.
The Hero King standing in front of the King of Conquerors calmly stares at the challenger while releasing the collection in the treasury.
Twenty, forty, eighty—countless shining treasures unfolded in the sky like a starry sky.
The light of the Noble Phantasm reminded the King of Conquerors of the starry sky he had once gazed upon in the east long ago.
"AAAALaLaLaLaLaie!!"
The King of Conquerors trembled with joy, roared loudly, and galloped forward with his beloved horse.
The rain of stars rushed towards him with a heavy roar. His whole body was ruthlessly ravaged by waves of impact, but compared to the pleasure of running, this level of pain was nothing.
He had a period of retreat, saying that there was no need to pursue the "end" at all - stupid, what a mistake.
The long-awaited "end" was standing in front of him. The end of crossing many hills and many rivers was now within sight.
He must surpass the past.
Step over the enemy in front of you.
One step forward, then another. He kept repeating the same action. Even if the figure was far away, as long as he took a little more steps, he would be able to send the tip of the sword to that person.
Starlight poured down with a rumble, the attack was so powerful that even his consciousness was about to fade away, and the King of Conquerors suddenly tilted his body.
When he realized it, he was moving forward with his own feet. Where did his beloved horse Bucephalus walk to, and where did he fall. Although he wanted to stop and pay tribute to his friend who had completed his final mission, it was precisely because of this that he could not stop. Now every step forward is the best tribute to the deceased.
Gold's old enemy said something with a helpless expression as if he knew everything, but he couldn't hear it, not even the sound of the storm passing by his ears.
All he could hear was the sound of waves.
There was nothing on the far shore, and the waves were crashing back and forth.
This is the sound of the waves of the Ultimate Ocean.
Ah, that's how it is. With a heart full of joy, he finally understood.
How come I didn’t realize it before? The throbbing in my chest is the waves of the Endless Ocean.
"Haha... Ahahahahaha!"
He dreamed of running along the coastline. The feeling of his toes breaking through the seawater was so refreshing. The liquid that dyed his feet red might be the blood flowing from his stomach. But so what? Now he was dreaming of this ocean. Is there any happiness in the world better than this
The King of Heroes who was waiting for him was right before his eyes. He took one step forward and just one more step forward. The sword he raised above his head could split the guy's head.
"Drink it!!"
With a shout that rushed straight to the horizon, Sepruet's sword was swung down.
That moment of certainty of victory, which should have been fleeting, somehow seemed to last an eternity, as if even the passage of time had stopped—
No, in fact, it did stop. But it was not time that stopped, but himself.
Just when the sword was about to hit the opponent, a sturdy chain bound the sword, hands, feet, shoulders and waist.
The Chain of Heaven - the secret treasure of the Hero King's secret treasures, a chain of bondage that even the Bull of Heaven cannot break free of.
"I can't stand it, you... one wonderful thing after another..."
There was no regret, nor was there any confusion. It was just a self-mockery of being accidentally frustrated because of a small matter that made his blood-stained mouth curl into a bitter smile.
The sword of Seprut did not hit the enemy, but Gilgamesh's sword of sundering pierced Iskandar's chest, and he felt the sword moving through his lungs.
What a strange sword! The King of Conquerors commented as if it had nothing to do with him.
"Have you woken up from your dream, King of Conquerors?"
"... ah, um, yes"
This time, I failed again. The unfulfilled dream ended regrettably. But thinking about it carefully, this should be a dream worth risking one's life for, a dream that only comes once.
The same dream he had had long ago in Asia Minor—he saw again in this land of the Far East the same dream he had dreamed then.
Iskandar smiled as he thought of all the wonderful changes.
If you have the same dream twice, it wouldn't be unusual if you have it a third time.
That is to say—
The next dream is about to begin.
"This expedition also... made me feel very excited..."
Iskandar narrowed his eyes which were becoming increasingly blurry in the blood mist and hummed with satisfaction.
Seeing the satisfied expression, Gilgamesh nodded solemnly.
"You may challenge me as many times as you like, King of Conquerors."
The King of Heroes bestowed upon this powerful enemy, whose entire body was pierced by a rain of Noble Phantasms, yet who still had to rely on the Chains of Heaven to block his way forward, the highest honor—praise from the heart.
"Until the end of time and space, this world will be my garden. So I promise you, it will never make you bored."
"Ah, that's really... nice."
Finally, Rider calmly agreed and quietly disappeared.
Judging from the time alone, this was a very short battle. The cavalry spirits rushed to the end of the road quickly, and the attack and defense were over in just a few seconds.
But for Weber, who took all of this in his eyes intently, this heavy and long period of time was comparable to his entire life.
He would never forget this memory, even if he deceived himself. The scene he saw in the past few seconds had become a part of his soul and could never be separated from him.
Waver simply stood motionless at the spot where Rider had left him. Although he knew he had to move, he felt that if he moved even a little, his feet would lose strength and he would fall to the ground.
But he couldn't kneel at this moment, this was the only thing he absolutely wouldn't allow.
The golden Archer stared at Waver with cruel blood-red eyes and slowly walked towards him.
He must not look away. Even though his whole body was frozen with fear, Weber only knew that he must not look away. If he looked away now, he would die.
Archer asked in a voice devoid of any emotion, standing in front of the trembling boy who was looking at him firmly.
"Boy, are you Rider's Master?"
I thought that my throat, which was so choked with fear, would not be able to make a sound, but when I was asked about my relationship with him, the rigid restraint was instantly untied. Waver shook his head and answered in a hoarse voice.
"No, I am his subject."
"Um?"
Archer narrowed his eyes and carefully examined Waver from head to toe, only to discover that there was no aura of Command Seals emanating from him.
"I see. But boy, if you are a true loyal subject, you should have the obligation to avenge the king, right?"
To the second question, Waver also answered with an uncanny calmness.
"If I challenge you, I will die."
"Of course."
"I can't do that. I've been ordered to live."
That's right—he must not die. As long as the King's last words still echoed in his heart, Waver would do everything he could to get out of this desperate situation. Even if the enemy's servants were right in front of him and he had no way to defend himself, and the situation was so hopeless that everything was over—he would never give up and would never trample on the oath he made at that time.
Perhaps this is a torture even more cruel than accepting death calmly.
Faced with inevitable death, the young man could only tremble helplessly, but his eyes still spoke of his indomitable will.
Gilgamesh silently looked down at his frail body and nodded slightly.
"Loyalty is the highest virtue. You must never forget this belief. Let's go, Tokiomi."
"But, King—"
Tōsaka Tokiomi was about to say something, but was interrupted by Archer in displeasure.
"He no longer has the Command Seals. He is neither a Master nor a traitor. He is just a bastard. There is no need to take action against him. This is my decision."
Waver watched in silence as the Golden Heroic Spirit and his Master turned and left until they completely disappeared from his sight.
The night wind blew away all the air on the battlefield, and the young man found himself alone, left under the night sky.
Only then did he realize that everything was over.
The miracle of having saved his life made his knees start to tremble again.
Until the second before Archer changed his mind, the murderous intent that emanated from him like his breath silently told Waver that Archer did intend to kill him. In fact, if Waver's gaze had moved a little, his legs had weakened and he had fallen to the ground, or if he had hesitated a little when answering, he would have been a corpse by now.
Even though he only saved his life, it was also a recognition from the King of Heroes. Daring to face fear and saving a life was a battle and a victory in itself. This was the result of Waver Velvet's first battle alone.
It was a small, ugly fight, not heroic or spectacular. Waver didn't defeat anyone, nor did he get any treasure. He just survived the hardship, that's all.
Even so, Waver was still happy and proud of it. Only Waver knew how precious it was to achieve an impossible outcome under the circumstances at that time. This sense of honor existed only in his heart. No matter how inappropriate it seemed to others, he would not be ashamed.
He obeyed the king's command, witnessed everything, and survived.
I really hope he will praise me, whether it's that big palm or that rough voice. This time I don't need to hide my feelings. This time, Waver will definitely be able to hold his chest high and show off his achievements like that man.
But - in the quiet night, Weber was alone, with no one around him. Just like a few days ago, Weber was once again thrown into this ruthless and indifferent corner of the world.
No one knew that he won a battle alone that belonged only to him, and no one praised his victory.
But was it a cruel blow? — The answer is no.
He had received a lot of praise just now. The greatest king in the world recognized him, promoted him, and made him one of his subjects.
It's just reversing the order of things.
He has already received the praise from the distant future. He only needs to use the rest of his life to achieve merits commensurate with the praise.
That's right. As long as he had those words at that time, he would no longer be alone.
The moment he realized this, Waver's boyhood came to an end.
For the first time, he realized that tears could sometimes be shed for reasons unrelated to regret or humiliation.
At this moment, Waver Velvet collapsed on the ground and let his tears flow freely.
Those were the tears of a man.
PS: The title refers to the exclusive BGM created by Yuki Kajiura for the King of Conquerors. Listening to this BGM, I wish the Emperor a good journey.
PS2: In the world line where the King of Conquerors survived, he did fight all the way to the end of the stars and became the overlord of the sea of stars.
PS3: Great Emperor, please wait for a moment in the Holy Grail. I will send Gilgamesh in to accompany you within three days.